


Ancient Kryptonian Customs

by dare121



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Kissing, this was supposed to be a short present for a friend but then it spiraled out of control
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-20
Updated: 2016-11-20
Packaged: 2018-09-01 01:31:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8601928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dare121/pseuds/dare121
Summary: Alex and Kara have kissed many times throughout the years.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to beaglesinbowties for checking this over for me :)

They’d kissed many times throughout the years.

 

The first time had been a few weeks after Kara had come to stay with them; a small girl with bright blue eyes and long, blonde hair. Alex hadn't been too thrilled about no longer being the shining star since her mother had transferred her affections, leaving Alex out in the cold.

 

But that wasn't Kara's fault, no matter how jealous Alex got every time her mom praised Kara over her.

 

So when Alex heard her new sister crying for the third time that week, she got out of bed and tiptoed her way over to the old study. Her parents had bought all new furniture so Kara could have a space to herself. 

 

When she’d slipped inside, she found Kara curled up under her blanket, staring blankly at the window.

 

“Hey,” Alex whispered, walking over to the bed and sitting down. She didn’t reach out because Kara was terrified of touching anyone after she’d almost broken Alex’s mom’s ribs during an especially exuberant hug.

 

“Good evening,” Kara sobbed back, still not completely used to the human slang that Alex had been trying to get her to use more. “Is there something that you need?” Kara’s manners were infallible, even though her words were peppered with hiccups and sniffs.

 

“Just thought you might like some company,” Alex replied, fiddling with her fingers. “Do you want to talk about it?”

 

Kara shook her head, and Alex gnawed on her bottom lip. It had been a stupid idea to go into her new sister's room. Kara’s entire planet had exploded. She’d been lost in space somewhere for over twenty years. Never in a million years would Alex be able to relate.

 

“Do you want to talk about something else? Want to teach me some Kryptonian?” Alex tried not to break her own fingers in her anxious attempt to get Kara to stop crying. A few days ago, Kara had asked her if she wanted to learn some Kryptonian phrases, but Alex had been too busy with her science project to pay her any attention. 

 

Seemingly perking up at the suggestion, Kara pushed herself into a sitting position. Giving herself a mental high-five, Alex grabbed a tissue from Kara’s night stand and wiped her face clean of tears.

 

She gave Kara a smile, and was pleased when Kara smiled through her sniffling. 

 

Then, Kara was in her arms, squeezing her almost too tightly, her spindly arms deceptively powerful. But that wasn't the part that had Alex freaking out inside.

 

Kara was  _ kissing  _ her.

 

The moment was over as quickly as it had started.

 

“What was that for?” Alex asked, feeling slightly out of sorts. Her first kiss. Kara had given Alex her first kiss.

 

Kara’s face fell.

 

“Do humans not kiss when they wish to express gratitude?” she questioned nervously, pulling her arms back from Alex’s neck. “I apologize. It is--  _ was  _ a custom on Krypton.” She looked down. “I wished to thank you for trying to make me feel better.”

 

“Oh,” Alex whispered, still blinking owlishly in surprise. “No, we don't do that on Earth. Kisses are meant for your special someone.” She rolled her eyes at herself. Could she have been any sappier? 

 

Kara furrowed her brows.

 

“You are special to me,” she said, obviously not understanding what Alex was talking about. 

 

Her chest feeling weirdly warm, Alex blushed and nodded.

 

“Yeah, I guess so,” she said, trying to think of a way to explain it better. “But you're only supposed to kiss people you  _ like _ .” When Kara didn't look as though this made any more sense to her, Alex rubbed her face with her hand. “Just don't go around kissing people, okay?”

 

Nodding, Kara scooted back a bit on the bed.

 

“Okay, Alex,” Kara agreed, looking half-determined and half-chastised.

 

For the rest of the night, Kara tried to teach Alex some easy Kryptonian phrases. 

 

Alex wasn't a natural.

 

-

 

The second time they’d kissed had been when Kara had turned sixteen (in Earth years).

 

Once Kara had become acclimated to human society and had stopped being the weird new kid, her popularity had shot through the roof. Hitting puberty also hadn't hurt, something which Alex felt like she should have been jealous about. Instead, she felt hot and confused every time they got too close.

 

Thankfully, Alex had entered her punk and apathetic phase a few months ago, and had started hanging out with some of the seniors. She didn't want to think about what it meant that her eyes lingered on Kara every time she entered a room.

 

And Alex’s short pink hair also had the added side effect of driving her mother crazy.

 

She was pretty sure that the only reason her mother hadn't intervened was that Alex’s grades hadn't slipped one bit. She was still the perfect student with the perfect grades. Honor Roll was totally punk. 

 

On Kara’s sixteenth birthday, she invited half her grade. Alex spent most of the day in her room, staring out of her bedroom window. She’d been meaning to ride around town with her best friend Selina, maybe make out a bit in Selina’s car while listening to some music. Not that Alex was gay (or so she told herself), but making out with Selina was less time-consuming than finding herself a full time-boyfriend.

 

But Alex’s mom had said that being out of the house when Kara was turning sixteen was unacceptable, and so Alex had resigned herself to her fate. Besides, she didn't want Kara to be disappointed that she’d left.

 

Right now though, Kara seemed perfectly content without Alex. 

 

Kara was wearing a bright yellow sundress, and Alex watched from upstairs as Kara smiled and laughed at something a boy was telling her. 

 

_ Brad _ . 

 

Alex didn't like Brad.

 

When Brad leaned close to Kara and whispered something to her, Alex got up in disgust and slumped onto her bed. 

 

“Fuck,” she said, pressing her hands against her eyes.

 

-

 

Hours later, when it was eight PM, Alex woke to the sound of someone knocking on her bedroom door. It was probably Kara, since her mother never bothered with knocking. And since Alex had entered her punk phase - her true self - there’d grown some distance between her and Kara.

 

“Come in,” Alex called out, sitting up on her bed and rubbing her eyes. 

 

She was proven right as Kara shuffled in, looking slightly uncertain.

 

“Everybody else is gone,” she said, closing the door behind herself and leaning her back against it. “Just in case you want to come downstairs and have a piece of cake… I saved one for you.”

 

Alex tried to hide her smile, but she couldn't. In the end, Kara would probably eat most of that final piece anyway. Alex never knew how to say no to her.

 

“I didn’t give you your birthday present yet,” Alex mentioned casually, trying to school her face into a mask of slight disinterest. “It’s in the closet.” 

 

Leaning back on her arms, Alex watched as Kara hesitated for a second, before she walked over to the closet and opened it gingerly. On top of Alex’s ripped jeans sat a small wrapped present. Kara picked it up gently, before she walked over to Alex and sat down next to her.

 

Her proximity made heat crawl up Alex’s neck.

 

“Thank you,” Kara said, staring down wide-eyed at the small package.

 

“You don't even know what’s in there yet,” Alex teased her, hopelessly lost in Kara’s sweetness. 

 

“I know I’ll love it, whatever it is,” Kara replied, smiling brightly as she pulled at the light blue ribbon. 

 

When she opened the small black box under the wrapping paper, she gasped. Alex bit her bottom lip as she looked down at the gold necklace that Kara was holding up. It was unmistakably a constellation. Planets surrounding a bright red sun. Krypton, Rao, Daxam, and some of the other planets and stars.

 

Alex had had it custom made in town.

 

She’d worked her ass off for months and had plundered the piggy bank for the motorcycle she wanted to buy to pay for the piece of jewelry. And seeing the look on Kara’s face now made it all worth it. 

 

With shaking hands, Kara placed the necklace back in the box and set the whole thing down on Alex’s nightstand. 

 

Her eyes were full of tears.

 

For a moment, Alex wondered if she’d horribly screwed up by getting Kara this present. If it reminded her sister of a life she’d rather forget. But then, before she could say anything, Kara’s lips were on hers.

 

It wasn't the chaste kiss Kara had given her years ago.

 

Kara's lips were stroking hers softly, and Kara’s hand was on her cheek. That other kiss had been so long ago, that Alex barely remembered it. But she was pretty sure it hadn't been like this. 

 

Especially when Kara tilted her head to the side and opened her mouth.

 

A few beats of soft caresses later, Kara pulled back, a soft smile on her face. While Alex tried to catch her breath, Kara hummed happily and picked up the necklace again, looking down at it.

 

“Thank you. It’s perfect,” she whispered, stroking the small red gem in the middle. Then, a thought seemed to occur to her, while Alex was trying to decide if she’d dreamed the whole thing or not. “But this must have cost a fortune! Where did you even get the money to have this made?”

 

It was as though the whole kissing thing had never happened, and Alex tried to pull herself together. If Kara didn't want it to be a thing, Alex wouldn’t push her, even though her lips were still tingling. It was probably only Kara’s Kryptonian heritage shining through. 

 

Alex simply shrugged at Kara’s question.

 

“All that matters is that you like it,” she said, trying to fake nonchalance as she took the necklace from Kara’s fingers. “Let me put it on for you.”

 

When Kara swept her hair aside so Alex could have access to the back of her neck, Alex tried not to notice the smooth expanse of her sister's skin.

 

_ Foster sister _ , Alex’s mind supplied helpfully.

 

“I love you,” Kara said, fiddling with the pendant as Alex tried to close the necklace with her shaking fingers.

 

“I love you, too,” Alex replied automatically, swallowing the acid in the back of her throat. Kara had no idea. Alex’s mom would flip if she ever found out what Alex wanted to do with Kara. Her sister would be safe, because Kara was always safe from Eliza’s wrath, but Alex was scared what her mother would do. Send her off to Catholic boarding school, maybe. 

 

And Alex couldn't leave Kara alone. 

 

Not while Kara still needed her.

 

-

 

The kisses became more frequent after that.

 

As did the hand-holding. 

 

Alex tried not to let it get to her, because Kara didn't act any differently otherwise, and she never kissed Alex when they were in public. And it wasn't like they kissed every day. It just happened when Alex did something nice for Kara, or when Kara felt particularly cuddly.

 

She’d also successfully broken through Alex’s cool, aloof shell, which Selina teased Alex for mercilessly. 

 

The kisses were both a blessing and a curse.

 

Alex wanted something she could never have, and every kiss was like a taste of what could have been if Kara hadn't been placed into the role of sister. Alex felt like she was taking advantage every time Kara gave her an innocent, little peck on the lips. She felt dirty,  _ wrong _ .

 

And she should put a stop to it.

 

-

 

Shrugging off her leather jacket, Alex looked around Kara’s apartment, trying to spot her sister. When there was no sign of her, she left the jacket on the table next to her and slunk over to the couch.

 

Kara was probably out doing Supergirl things. 

 

Alex had been at the DEO until ten PM, working steadily and methodically in her lab. There had to be a way to bypass Astra’s protection against kryptonite. Alex just had to find it. 

 

Pressing her hands against her eyes, Alex wondered when Kara would be home, and if she would mind it if Alex went to bed without waiting up for her. After all, Supergirl often didn't have a set time at which she worked, and Alex was  _ tired _ .

 

Sighing, Alex dropped her hands back to her sides and stared at the ceiling. 

 

She couldn't remember the last time she’d slept next to someone who wasn't Kara. Had it been one year? Two? Possibly even three? She definitely needed to get out more. Find someone to date, maybe. Someone from the DEO, who understood the demanding hours, and Alex’s strong bond with her sister. 

 

And someone who wouldn't freak out when they saw Alex and Kara  _ kiss _ .

 

“Not very likely,” Alex grumbled. Even though she was aware of families who shared affection more freely, Alex knew a lot of people didn't see kissing as a particularly familial action, especially not between grown women.

 

Now annoyed by her own thoughts, Alex got to her feet and walked over to Kara’s bedroom, where she undressed quickly. 

 

She was ready to sleep in ten minutes.

 

Kara’s bed was soft, and Alex wrapped herself in her sister's scent as much as she wrapped herself in the blankets. 

 

She needed to get a grip.

 

She’d been pretty much in love with Kara for the past ten years, maybe even longer, and it was time to let it go. It was no less wrong now than it had been all those years ago when they were both teens. Alex was supposed to protect Kara, and that meant protecting her from Alex herself, too.

 

-

 

When Kara finally swooped in, smelling faintly of soot, Alex was still awake. Drowsy, but awake.

 

“Hey,” Alex mumbled, looking away when Kara dropped her cape. “Did you put out a fire?” She could hardly see Kara through the darkness of the night, but she was pretty sure Kara was smiling at her.

 

“Yeah,” Kara replied, before a whooshing sound filled the room, signaling to Alex that Kara was super speeding her way through her nightly routine so she could get into bed faster. A few seconds later, Kara was back, no longer smelling like soot. “One of Astra’s goons set a building on fire.”

 

Humming in acknowledgement, Alex shifted to the side so Kara could sleep on a bit of mattress that was already warm. She knew it didn't make a difference to Kara, who was basically a furnace, but Alex liked doing these small things for her sister. 

 

Once she was in bed, Kara snuggled up to Alex, arms curling around her body and holding her close.

 

“Have you been here for long?” Kara asked quietly, nosing at Alex’s cheek.

 

“No,” Alex lied, trying to keep her heart from going into overdrive. 

 

“Were you in the lab all day?” Kara’s hand slid up and down Alex’s left arm. The soft caress was incredibly soothing, and Alex let out a slow breath. “You know it isn't good for your back, when you sit slumped over for hours.”

 

“I did my back exercises, don't worry,” Alex replied, turning her face into Kara’s and catching a glimpse of the gold necklace Alex had given to Kara on her sixteenth birthday. Kara only took it off when she worked as Supergirl, and it gave Alex a thrill of pleasure every time she saw it.

 

Her words were met with a blinding smile from Kara that Alex could see even in the low light. 

 

“Thank you,” Kara whispered, just before she leaned in and pressed their lips together, hand sliding onto Alex’s sternum. “For listening to me for once.”

 

Alex tried to huff, but it came out more as a dreamy sigh. 

 

-

 

Things changed when Astra came over to their side after Alex had almost killed her. 

 

If the kryptonite had been within her vicinity for even a few seconds longer, Alex was sure Astra would not have recovered. Thankfully, when Kara had shown up, she’d flown her aunt into the sky, closer to the sun, and had brought her back from the brink. 

 

Now, Astra tended to spend most of her time at the DEO, chatting with Vasquez or getting on Lucy’s nerves. 

 

“You did not tell me you and my niece were bonded,” Astra said one Wednesday afternoon, while Alex worked in the lab. Kara was off saving the world, and Alex was busy trying to deconstruct an alien weapon.

 

Astra’s question almost made her fire the damn thing.

 

“What?” Alex asked, looking up from her microscope and giving Astra a perplexed look. “We're not bonded.”

 

Frowning, Astra crossed her arms over her chest. She was still wearing that ridiculous leotard, even after Kara had offered to go shopping with her. 

 

“She told me you presented her with a bonding necklace when you were younger,” Astra said, her eyes growing surprisingly soft at the words. “With the constellation of our home world. And you are very affectionate with one another.”

 

Alex decided against going back to working on the weapon until this weird conversation was over. 

 

“The necklace was a birthday present, and Kara is affectionate with everyone. She’s an affectionate person.” Maybe if she denied it hard enough, her own brain would finally get it. There would never be anything romantic between her and Kara. There simply couldn't be. 

 

“Why are you trying to deny your bond with my niece, brave one? Are you ashamed to be a member of the House of El?” Astra seemed sort of angry now, and Alex narrowed her eyes at her. 

 

“I’m not ashamed of anything,” Alex lied, knuckles turning white as she dug her nails into the armrests of her desk chair. “I love Kara, but we're not bonded.” No matter how much Alex wanted to be bonded to her sister. 

 

_ Foster sister, foster sister, foster sister. _

 

When Astra shook her head and left the lab, Alex went back to work, her mind whirling with thoughts of Kryptonian bonding ceremonies. She didn’t know the necklace could have been construed as a part of it, and she allowed herself a few seconds of wondering if Kara had taken it as such.

 

It was a foolish dream.

 

-

 

That same night, Alex sat at the kitchen island of her apartment while Kara was busy making them a stir fry. Even though there was a newspaper in front of her that she’d been planning on reading all day, her mind kept drifting to that conversation she’d had with Astra.

 

“Did you know that your aunt thinks we’re bonded?” Alex asked, trying to sound like she hadn’t been thinking about whether or not they’d have their bonding ceremony in traditional Kryptonian garb. 

 

The sound of metal being bent answered her question even before Kara’s mouth could.

 

“She does?” Kara replied almost too innocently, turning around and looking down guiltily at the now broken fork she’d been using to taste-test the food (for the twentieth time). 

 

“Yeah, she said that you told her that the necklace I gave you is like a human promise ring or something,” Alex explained, hiding her hands in her lap so Kara couldn’t see them tremble. “Kind of like an engagement ring.”

 

Kara’s free hand slid instinctively to the constellation around her neck.

 

“Oh,” she said, a blush spreading over her cheeks. “I guess that makes sense.”

 

She shuffled her feet and turned off the stove, taking the hot pan over to the table.

 

“She probably just misunderstood you,” Alex guessed, getting up from her chair and putting a table mat on the island so Kara could put down the pan without burning a hole into the polished wood. 

 

When Kara didn’t reply, Alex furrowed her brows.

 

“Kara?” She asked, watching as her sister pulled plates and two cups from one of the cupboards. 

 

Kara sighed.

 

“I may have… told Astra… that we’re bonded,” she whispered, shooting Alex an apologetic look over her shoulder. She looked about ready to snap another piece of cutlery, so Alex tried to keep her calm. 

 

“Why?” Alex asked, crossing her arms over her chest and trying not to let her hope flare up.

 

“Well, see, Astra’s been pestering me about whether or not I’ve bonded with anyone and she wouldn’t let the topic drop, and so I just… you know… I told her you and I…” Kara sighed and slowly stepped closer to Alex, placing her hands on Alex’s upper arms. “I’m sorry, I just wanted her to get off my back.”

 

Clenching her jaw, Alex pointedly ignored how good Kara smelled.

 

“Why didn’t you tell her you’re bonded to James? Or Lucy? Or someone else?” Kara’s fingers on her arms were making Alex feel weak in the knees, and like she was very close to folding like a wet napkin. 

 

Sighing, Kara lowered her head.

 

“You were the first person that came to mind… Please don’t be mad. I promise I’ll tell her the truth at some point.” Grimacing, Kara bumped her foot gently against Alex’s. “I just want her to be proud of me.”

 

Alex could already feel herself softening.

 

“Alright, fine,” she acquiesced, heart thumping fast when Kara smiled at her gratefully. She was also prepared for the kiss, and for Kara’s hands cupping her cheeks. What she wasn’t prepared for was her own reaction, which included a hand firmly pressed against Kara’s breast bone. “But maybe we shouldn’t be doing  _ this  _ anymore.”

 

Halting in her tracks, Kara drew her brows together.

 

“What do you mean?” She asked, her beautiful features colored in perplexity.

 

“I don’t think we should kiss anymore,” Alex clarified her words, swallowing hard at the crushed look on Kara’s face. “Maybe that had something to do with why you accidentally told your aunt that we’re bonded. I don’t think it’s a good idea to keep that going. I mean, we’re sisters, we’re never going to be together.”

 

Those were exactly the words that Alex needed to tell herself. 

 

“Oh…” Kara replied, letting go of Alex’s cheeks and taking a step back. She looked beyond rejected, but Alex bit down on the urge to give Kara everything she wanted. This was for the best. For over ten years, they’d gotten away with this habit, but it was time to put an end to it. And maybe it would finally allow her to move on. 

 

Maybe.

 

-

 

For the following six months, Alex was miserable.

 

While Astra had warmed up to her considerably at the DEO and was acting more like a friend than an adversary, Kara had grown more and more distant. She spent more time outside as Supergirl, and barely made time for their weekly girls’ night in. 

 

It didn’t take a genius to figure out that she was upset about Alex’s moratorium on kisses, though Alex had no idea why she was so affected by the decision. In her weaker moments, she liked to imagine that Kara was upset because she’d been hiding the same romantic feelings as Alex.

 

In a desperate attempt to move on, Alex let herself be set up with one of Vasquez’s old friends from college, but even a night of unfulfilling sex with a stranger couldn’t make Alex feel better. After that, she gave up the idea of dating to take her mind off things.

 

-

 

In the end, Alex should have known that only a near-death experience would bring them back together.

 

-

 

“You have a second chance at life,” Alex said tiredly, her head leaning against the back of the couch. They were in Kara’s apartment, and everybody else had gone home after their celebration. Alex had been meaning to go, too, but then Kara had asked her to stay, and Alex still wasn’t in the business of denying Kara what she wanted. “Do you know what you’re going to do with it yet?”

 

Kara was sitting next to her, feet resting on the coffee table, hands fisted in her white and blue striped blouse. She turned her head to look at Alex, her eyes scanning Alex’s face and seemingly taking in her features.

 

“I’m sorry I’ve been so distant,” she said, instead of answering Alex’s question. Reaching out, she curled her hand around Alex’s fingers and held on tightly. “I thought I was going to die today, and all I could think about was how terrible I’ve been to you lately, just because…”

 

She sighed, and Alex smiled sadly.

 

“It’s fine,” Alex tried to reassure her, squeezing Kara’s hand encouragingly.

 

“No,” Kara shook her head, “it’s not.” She sat up and pulled her right knee onto the couch. “I promised myself that I would tell you the truth if I made it out of space alive, and I’m not going to let you take the blame for my mistakes anymore.”

 

Furrowing her brows, Alex mimicked Kara’s position, running the tips of her fingers over the left sleeve of her dark blue sweater. This conversation was making her nervous, because she had absolutely no idea what Kara could possibly have to reveal.

 

“I miss… I miss kissing you,” Kara confessed quietly, eyes on the couch, her fingers reaching up to play with the gold necklace around her neck. “I miss sleeping next to you and knowing that I can just lean over and kiss you. I miss how soft your lips are and how much they make me feel like I’m home…”

 

Alex’s heart was beating fast, and she dug her nails into her palms to keep herself from reaching out. She had a feeling Kara wasn’t done, and just because she missed their kisses didn’t mean that she wanted Alex like Alex wanted her. 

 

“I kissed James tonight,” Kara continued, still staring at the couch. If she’d been looking at Alex, she would have seen the brief flash of pain flash across Alex’s face before it was wrestled away like so many other emotions Alex didn’t allow herself to feel.

 

“Oh,” Alex said, trying to find the right words, “that’s great, Kara. That’s what you wanted, right?” 

 

Biting her bottom lip, Kara let go of the necklace.

 

“I thought I did… but when I kissed him… I thought about what it felt like to kiss you…” Her eyes flit up to gauge Alex’s reaction, while Alex kept her face carefully blank. “It’s not the same.” She shook her head and looked away. “I wanted to see if it would feel the same.” 

 

Alex could feel a blush creep up the back of her neck.

 

“I told him I just want to be friends and that there’s someone else…” Brushing her hair out of her face, Kara clenched her hands into fists. “I know you said that we’re sisters and that we’re never going to be together and I respect that, and I don’t want anything to change between us. I want us to go back to how we were before, but I just want to tell you how I feel first.”

 

It was almost like Alex couldn’t breathe. 

 

“Kara…” she whispered, acutely aware of the rapid  _ thump thump thump _ in her own chest.

 

“I think I’ve been in love with you for a really long time,” Kara admitted quietly, her voice barely audible. “And I think I’ve been hiding behind ancient customs, because I was afraid that you would be disappointed in me.”

 

There were tears in her eyes now; Alex could see them clearly. 

 

“Are you sure?” she asked tentatively, wanting nothing more than to scoot closer to her sister and take her into her arms. It was like a dream, and Alex briefly wondered if she’d died up in space. If she’d flown up in Kara’s space ship only to realize at the last second that something was wrong with it. 

 

“Yeah,” Kara replied, the first tear sliding down her cheek. “I’m so sorry I took advantage of what we had, just so I could be close to you. I’m sorry I hid behind Kryptonian customs. I didn’t mean to.” She wiped roughly at her face, clearly trying to pull herself together.

 

Humming softly, Alex weighed her options.

 

“I guess that makes two of us, then,” she said quietly, grabbing the packet of tissues on Kara’s coffee table and sliding one free to wipe Kara’s now confused face clean of tears. 

 

“You mean…” Kara’s voice was shaky, and Alex dared to make eye contact only for a few seconds. The burgeoning hope in Kara’s gaze was almost more than she could bear. She’d fought against these feelings the entire second half of her life, and now Kara wanted her back?

 

“Yeah,” Alex confirmed, crumpling the tissue in her hand and smiling sadly. 

 

“Wow.” Kara’s hand shook as she brought it back to her necklace. 

 

“Yeah,” Alex repeated, unsure of what to do or say next. This was uncharted territory. In all of her fantasies, she’d somehow never entertained the idea of what she would say if Kara confessed her feelings  _ first _ . 

 

After a moment of silence, Kara reached out slowly. The tips of her fingers slid along Alex’s hand and onto her palm, and she let out a shuddering breath when Alex curled her hand into the touch and held on tightly.

 

“I guess we were both pretty stupid,” Kara whispered, moving closer on the couch and leaning her forehead against Alex’s temple. Cupping Alex’s cheek, Kara stroked the skin gently with her thumb, making Alex shiver.

 

When Kara tilted her head, unmistakably going in for a kiss, Alex pulled her face away, trying not to let her sister’s heartbroken expression change her mind. They’d been going about this all wrong since they’d been teenagers, and Alex wouldn’t stand for it anymore.

 

“I want to take you out first,” she said quickly, ignoring the voice in the back of her mind that sounded suspiciously like her mother, telling her that this was a terrible idea and that she was supposed to  _ protect _ Kara. But this wasn’t just about her own happiness anymore, this was about making Kara just as happy. “On a date.”

 

Biting her bottom lip, Kara grinned.

 

“I guess we  _ have  _ been going about this kind of in the wrong order,” she said, pulling back and blushing softly. “Do I get to kiss you at the end of the night, even if the date goes horribly? Even if I have to leave you in the middle to go do Supergirl stuff?”

 

Leaning forward, Alex pressed a chaste kiss against Kara’s cheek.

 

“Guess you’ll just have to wait and see,” she said, nervousness and excitement choking her in equal measure. She was already dreading the day she’d have to come clean to her friends, family, and colleagues about the shift in their relationship. Her mother would probably disown her.

 

And yet... seeing Kara smile like that? 

 

That made it all completely worth it.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I know it's been a while, but I'm still kicking around. If you haven't been loitering around my tumblr, here's why I've been gone for months: I'm working on a multi-chapter story that's currently 300k+ and it's almost finished, so keep your eyes open for that!
> 
> Find me on tumblr at goshdarnitjay


End file.
